<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I was wondering if USC's orientation programs in the summer (June, July) are required for incoming freshmen students. </p>
<p>Are there any particular events that take place those days that cannot be made up during the Fall term? How much would I miss if I don't attend (I might not be able to make it)? That said, is orientation recommended?</p>
<p>Thanks for any help!</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure orientation is mandatory, because that's when you take placement tests and stuff. I think you meet your counselor and register that day too, but I'm not positive. Anyone care to confirm?</p>
<p>From the usc website:</p>
<p>"As a new student, we strongly encourage you to begin your academic career by attending Orientation. Attending Orientation is the best way to acclimate yourself to life at USC. Orientation provides you with the chance to become familiar with campus, learn about student life, and register for your first semester of course work. In addition, you will receive academic advisement, and meet current faculty, staff and students."</p>
<p>Notice they say "strongly encourage", not mandatory!</p>
<p>I know that they come to HI to do an orientation & register students because they have a large number of incoming freshmen from HI each year (last year there were over 100). They even came to HI to interview merit scholarship candidates for the top awards this year (in past years they'd fly them to USC). Most of the kids I know from HI simply attended the HI orientation & didn't fly to USC for the orientation.</p>
<p>When I was accepted I didn't go to my orientation because the dates didn't work out. I'd highly advise going though, for a couple of good reasons (for example to get your registration stuff cleared, and to get into classes before they fill)</p>
<p>but mandatory? no. what could they possibly do to you anyway if you didn't make it?</p>
<p>I can't goto the orientation either (out of the country) and you gotta sign up for classes and such during it. But if you can't attend, they'll let you do it around 2-3 days before school officially starts...</p>
<p>Orientation is definitely not mandatory, but you do miss out on creating your email account (which is what you need to get a college Facebook acct) and registration for classes. You'll have to do those the week before classes begin instead.</p>
<p>Ok. Sorry about the wrong info.</p>
<p>It's a pity we can't make our e-mail accounts right now! I want a facebook!</p>
<p>LOL i agree. I want my facebook! grr (well, I did make it, but with another college account..cough)</p>
<p>Actually, you don't have to activate them at school. I got my email address a week or two before orientation. Perhaps this link may pop up more on the forum once orientation is around the corner: <a href="https://secweb.usc.edu/cgi-local/firstlogin/showform?form=activate%5B/url%5D">https://secweb.usc.edu/cgi-local/firstlogin/showform?form=activate</a></p>
<p>thanks proto!</p>
<p>it bothers me that kids want facebook so much</p>
<p>duh. myspace it up.</p>
<p>Pros & cons of having parent(s) come to orientation, anyone? I can see why student needs to attend, but since they charge each parent, can someone please post as to the pros & cons of the parent attending? I have friends who are parents of USC students who will answer any questions I have about USC. Thanks!</p>
<p>There are activities in the schedule for parents, although, since I'm not a parent, I don't know exactly what they are. I know some cover topics like financial aid, "breaking away" from your college student, etc.</p>
<p>Parents get to partake in the elegant USC cuisine though (not EVK, special catered food).</p>
<p>Sorry I can't say much more about the parent part. However, I strongly encourage students to attend orientation. You probably will not register for classes correctly if you don't attend because the registration system is a little complicated, you won't take placement tests and therefore won't qualify to test out of classes.</p>
<p>If i can't attend orientation (i'll be out of the country during summer) there's no way i can test out classes? (foreign language.. ) and what are the foreign languages you can take tests for? (Korean?)</p>
<p>prob. you would just take the tests sometime during the fall semester or even whenever you're ready. Someone else will have to confirm but you can take them anytime, it's just that by graduation time you should have passed the placement exam at a 3rd-semester level or passed the 3rd semester of a foreign language.</p>
<p>There's no absolute need to do orientation - it's just the most convienient time to get stuff done before the semester starts. In theory everything absolutely necessary for the fall can be done anytime before the billing deadline (which is like the day/week before classes start?)</p>
<p>If you can, go to orientation and take your parents. It really will help ease your way. You can sign up for classes before they're filled up, take placement tests, find out about the credit union, medical care, loans. You'll be able to get answers to everything that you and your parents have questions about.</p>
<p>There will be folks on-hand for parents to talk to about different payment options for USC & answer questions (& hear answers to questions asked by other parents that you hadn't thought to ask). You will also have an opportunity to meet the dean/assistant dean for the school(s) you child will be taking classes in. It's also nice to network with other parents of incoming freshmen.</p>